Forza Horizon Meets Journey in Brand-New Steam Racing Game

While drafting this review of the indie off-road driving experience Over the Hill, I initially considered declaring it “the chill-out game of the year” in the title. However, a lingering sense of déjà vu prompted me to check my archive; sure enough, I used that exact phrasing three years ago for my preview of Don’t Nod’s sublime mountaineering journey, Jusant. It is a remarkably fitting parallel, as Over the Hill evokes a strikingly similar state of mind.

Much like Jusant, Over the Hill presents an idealized, uncluttered portrait of an outdoor pursuit, thoughtfully refined for pure serenity. It is a meditative, unhurried exploration game that encourages you to slow down, read the topography with intention, and immerse yourself entirely in the present. Both titles share a breathtaking aesthetic, trading microscopic texture fidelity for bold, tactile shapes bathed in soft pastels and warm sunset gradients.

In many ways, Over the Hill pushes minimalism even further. Where Jusant features a sparse, nearly wordless narrative, Over the Hill dispenses with storytelling entirely. Furthermore, while Jusant delivers a crafted, linear adventure with a definitive conclusion, Over the Hill offers a sprawling expanse of open maps to navigate freely, brimming with hidden points of interest. It also supports a four-player cooperative mode—which I haven’t yet experienced, though it sounds like an ideal social pastime. Played solo, however, it remains a sanctuary of profound quietude.

Over the Hill is the ultimate tranquil escape of 2026

Developed by Funselektor, a Vancouver-based indie studio renowned for its stylish retro motorsport titles, Over the Hill follows in the footsteps of their top-down rally game, Art of Rally. While visually striking, that earlier game occasionally lacked the mechanical depth required for a classic arcade racer, making this year’s grittier Super Woden: Rally Edge a preferred alternative for pure racing thrills.

One might easily misjudge Funselektor as leaning into hipster posturing, particularly when contrasting Over the Hill with hardcore off-road simulators like Saber Interactive’s MudRunner and SnowRunner. Yet Over the Hill comes from an entirely different philosophy, and the studio’s stylistic approach resonates far more effectively here. Studio founder Dune Casu is an authentic motorsport aficionado and self-professed adventurer who frequently codes from a camper van while journeying across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Consequently, while Over the Hill involves maneuvering 4x4s through treacherous terrain, it is fundamentally an exercise in communing with the natural world as you traverse it.

Much like Art of Rally, the game features charmingly stylized, fictionalized facsimiles of late 20th-century automotive icons. You begin in a vehicle reminiscent of a classic Land Rover Defender, eventually unlocking lookalikes of the Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Bronco, and even a Unimog. Dropping into the world, you can follow rugged tracks or venture entirely off-grid. The mechanical suite is refreshingly straightforward: high and low gears, headlights, a handbrake, and a winch to extract yourself from tight spots.

Exploration yields remote cabins that serve as fast-travel waypoints and rest stops to advance the time of day. Over the Hill features a dynamic day-night cycle alongside intermittent, moody weather that can complicate your route—though witnessing the stunning environments shift under varying atmospheric conditions is half the appeal. You will also unearth supply crates containing cosmetic upgrades for your trucks, from mudflaps and bicycle mounts to roof racks piled high with camping gear or beverage cases. Occasionally, you might stumble upon a derelict vehicle requiring a tow back to safety or a specialized challenge trail.

Every discovery awards currency that can be reinvested into robust vehicular enhancements, such as stronger engines, superior tires, and waterproofing measures to safeguard against drowning your ignition. Crucially, you can also unlock inventory space for survival gear that proves indispensable when situations deteriorate: jacks to right a flipped truck, wooden boards for traction, portable winch anchors, and a weather-clearing bell.

Despite its tranquil nature, Over the Hill can present genuine friction. The designated challenge trails demand heightened concentration as you carefully navigate rotting boardwalks over swamps, crawl up jagged mountain passes, or inch across precarious desert cliff sides. Success relies entirely on patience and attentive terrain reading.

Beyond immediate obstacles, the game introduces a broader overarching puzzle: deciphering the architecture of its biomes. While less apparent in the introductory map—a steep valley in the Canadian Rockies—relocating to the Algerian desert transforms the terrain into a multi-tiered riddle, with objectives perched atop towering stone mesas high above the dunes. Reaching these vantage points demands intricate three-dimensional navigation alongside careful tactical planning.

When exploration inspiration dips or you simply want to grind out currency for a new machine, you can equip a meteorite radar. This tool signals a random crash site somewhere on the map, providing only a compass heading to guide your search. It makes for a brilliant cooperative exercise, though even solo, it breathes fresh life into landscapes you thought you had mastered. Additionally, you can photograph local fauna to populate a charming wildlife compendium.

Ultimately, this uncluttered simplicity is Over the Hill‘s greatest triumph. Free from feature creep, artificial time constraints, and competitive pressure, it carves out a restorative mental haven. Watching your determined little 4×4 bounce across a lush wilderness as dawn breaks while acoustic guitar melodies drift through the air inspires a profound sense of tranquil patience. There is no rush. You will arrive when you get there.

Over the Hill is out now on Windows PC, with Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X versions scheduled for 2027. The game was reviewed using a pre-release download code provided by Funselektor. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.

Source: Polygon